Interreligious Thai leaders pray for peace during crisis

May 1, 2014: Catholics and representatives of religious traditions in Thailand have prayed for peace, in light of tensions and political unrest that have threatened the nation's progress.“Prayer has power and plays an important role in the life of the person; every religion acknowledges this fact and believes it with deep conviction in their hearts,” Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok told CNA on April 18.The Thai bishops' conference met with leaders from the nation's Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh communities, unanimously urging dialogue and prayer for a sustainable peace. Fr. Anucha Chaiyadej, secretary of social communications for the Thai bishops, told CNA that “five religions have joined their hands together … to find a solution of peace through prayer, because deep in the roots of their heart they believe the existence of God.”“The Church clearly stands with prayer, penitence, and almsgiving; and only in prayer can we achieve that which is impossible in terms of human capacity,” he added.Archbishop Kriengsak said the religious leaders, “worried by the present turmoil,” have converged in “seeking divine help, urging every believer to offer special prayers in their house of worship according to their belief.”Archbishop Kriengsak said the religious leaders had heard “the silent voice of the voiceless,” and that all believe that “prayer can work miracles.”Archbishop Kriengsak exhorted the country’s leaders to “resolve paths of dialogue” and to lead Thailand's developmental projects with “equitable justice, free of corruption, and with non-violence for the common good.”